Irving Response Cap Study

Irving Police Department Berkeley Study Analysis The Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Race, Ethnicity and Diversity, affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, published a report titled, “The C.A.P. Effect: Racial Profiling in the ICE Criminal Alien Program.” The authors of the report state that they analyzed 23 months of arrest records from the Irving Police Department that were obtained through an American Civil Liberties Union open records request. Berkeley Study Primary Allegation: “Irving Police engaged in racial profiling of Hispanics in order to filter them through the Criminal Alien Program screening system.” A thorough review of the study reveals that: 

The Berkeley Study contains significant data errors.

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The actual data does not support the allegation that the Criminal Alien Program (CAP) caused the increase of Hispanic arrests for Class C offenses.

Berkeley Study Erroneous Allegations Error No. 1  Caucasians represented the highest arrest category when considering all arrests. Fact  Hispanics represented the highest arrest category for all arrests. Error No. 2  Hispanics were arrested more frequently for misdemeanors after the implementation of CAP. Fact  Hispanic arrests for misdemeanors actually decreased after CAP began. Error No. 3  Arrest of Hispanics for Class C misdemeanors spiked soon after 24/7 access to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was initiated in April 2007. Fact  Arrests increased in all race categories during summer 2007; unrelated to CAP. Error No. 4  Only 2 percent of referrals to ICE were originally arrested for felony offenses. Fact  Felony offenses accounted for 15 percent of ICE referrals.

9/22/09

9/22/09